CVE-2023-29722 in Glitter Unicorn Wallpaper App
Summary
by MITRE • 06/02/2023
The Glitter Unicorn Wallpaper app for Android 7.0 thru 8.0 allows unauthorized apps to actively request permission to modify data in the database that records information about a user's personal preferences and will be loaded into memory to be read and used when the app is opened. An attacker could tamper with this data to cause an escalation of privilege attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2025
The CVE-2023-29722 vulnerability resides within the Glitter Unicorn Wallpaper Android application version 7.0 through 8.0, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the application's data integrity and access control mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from improper permission handling within the app's database management system, where unauthorized third-party applications can exploit a weakness to request and obtain permissions that should remain restricted to the legitimate application itself. The affected application maintains a database containing user preference information that gets loaded into memory for runtime access, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate core application data. The vulnerability specifically targets the database modification permissions, allowing unauthorized entities to write to the database without proper authentication or authorization checks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging Android's permission model to gain elevated access rights to the application's internal database storage. When the wallpaper application loads user preferences into memory for runtime processing, the database records containing these preferences become accessible to malicious applications that can request and potentially obtain modification permissions. This flaw represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor input validation and access control implementation. The vulnerability allows for a form of privilege escalation where an attacker can modify user preferences and potentially influence application behavior in ways that could lead to further exploitation or data manipulation. The underlying issue is classified under CWE-276, which addresses improper permissions for critical resources, and specifically relates to CWE-732, which deals with incorrect permissions for critical resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it creates a potential attack vector for more sophisticated security breaches. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could alter user preference settings to redirect application functionality, modify application behavior, or potentially gain access to additional application features that should remain restricted. The loaded memory state of user preferences means that any modifications could immediately affect application performance and user experience, while also potentially creating persistent security issues that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves the exploitation of legitimate credentials and system access for privilege escalation purposes, and represents a significant risk to user privacy and application security integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-29722 should focus on implementing proper database access controls and enforcing strict permission boundaries within the Android application. Developers should ensure that database modification permissions are properly restricted and that applications validate all incoming requests for database access. The recommended approach includes implementing proper access control lists, using Android's built-in security mechanisms such as the android:sharedUserId attribute correctly, and ensuring that database files are properly secured with appropriate file system permissions. Additionally, application developers should implement proper input validation and sanitization for all data stored in the database, and consider implementing cryptographic protection for sensitive user preference data. Users should be advised to avoid installing untrusted applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability, and system administrators should monitor for suspicious application behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper security testing during application development phases to prevent such access control flaws from reaching production environments.